Keeping your wound clean and following up with a doctor is the best way to control bleeding. However, there are many things you can do at home in order to help stop the bleeding and keep yourself safe.
Cover the wound with a clean dressing or cloth.
- Use a clean dressing. Make sure to use a dressing that is appropriate for the wound, such as gauze or bandages. Do not use clothing, paper towels, or other materials that may be dirty or contaminated.
- Cover the wound with a clean dressing or cloth. Place it directly over your injury and hold it in place with tape (if necessary). If possible, place additional pressure on top of this layer of material to help stop bleeding from underneath before placing another layer over it all; this will help prevent infection and keep away unwanted debris from entering deeper layers of tissue beneath your skin's surface.
If you can, elevate the area above your heart.
Elevation will help reduce bleeding and should be done with a pillow or towel. The wound should be elevated for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better).
If you're using gauze to cover the wound, try to keep it clean and replace it often if it becomes soaked in blood. If blood is still coming out when you pull off an old pad of gauze, apply another one over top of that one until the bleeding stops completely before removing both pads together from beneath your dressing material like tape or medical tape strips which are designed specifically for this purpose so they won't stick directly onto open wounds; however if this isn't available use regular ointments such as Vaseline instead since they won't stick either but will also provide added protection against infection while still allowing air circulation around all sides including underneath where most germs hide!
Do not remove the dressing from the wound until it's fully stopped bleeding.
If you remove the dressing before it has stopped bleeding, there's a risk that more blood will come out. You should not remove the dressing until it's fully stopped bleeding.
If you're unsure whether or not your wound has stopped bleeding, apply firm pressure again for at least five minutes and then check again before removing any dressings or bandages from around the area of concern (this could be anything from a cut finger to an open chest wound). If more blood starts to come out after cleaning and dressing a wound, apply firm pressure again for at least five minutes before checking once more--you may need to reapply dressings several times before they're completely effective in stopping all bleeding!
When you remove the dressing, do so very gently so as not to reopen it.
If you are not sure if you should remove the dressing, ask your doctor.
- To determine if pressure is being applied properly: Check to see if blood has stopped flowing from under your finger or thumb as soon as possible after applying pressure. If there is still bleeding after 10 minutes of applying direct pressure over a wound site and no other measures have been taken (i.e., elevation), call 911 immediately!
- To tell when bleeding has stopped: Remove any gauze covering your wound; look for fresh blood seeping from underneath bandages or dressings; compare coloration of injured skin on either side of injury site--if one side appears paler than other due to loss of blood flow through capillaries within tissue layer(s), then bleeding is still occurring internally which means that more time must be spent applying pressure until all flow stops completely before removing bandages/dressings again."
Apply pressure again if more blood starts to come out after you've cleaned and dressed the wound.
If you see more blood, apply pressure again. If the bleeding doesn't stop after 20 minutes, go to the hospital. Don't remove the dressing until the bleeding has stopped completely.
Don't use a tourniquet (a device used to apply pressure above a wound). For major bleeding, call 911 immediately; for minor cuts and scrapes that won't stop bleeding on their own within 20 minutes--and especially if you're prone to nosebleeds or have another condition that makes it easy for blood vessels in your body to rupture--you may want to consult with a doctor before attempting any self-care techniques at home.
It is important to remember that bleeding can be controlled with knowledge and action
If you know the signs of bleeding, and how to apply pressure to a wound and clean it, then you are well on your way toward controlling your bleeding.
You must seek medical attention if the wound is deep or larger than 3 inches in diameter. You should also see a doctor if any of these symptoms occur:
- Bleeding does not stop after 30 minutes of applying direct pressure over the area where the blood was coming from;
- The injured person experiences nausea or dizziness;
- Their pulse becomes weak;
Conclusion
We hope that this article has been helpful and informative. If you do find yourself in a situation where bleeding needs to be controlled, remember that it is possible with the right knowledge and action. We hope that by reading this article you will feel more prepared when faced with such an emergency situation!